Auger ice maker



March 8, 1966 A. J. Ross AUGER ICE MAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1964 fm/ /nik @z w, M

March 8, 1966 A. J. Ross 3,238,740

AUGER ICE MAKER Filed Jan. 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,238,740 AUGER ICE MAKER Anthony J. Ross, 116 Myrtle Ave., Elmhurst, Ill. Filed Jan. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 338,342 14 Claims. (Cl. 62-354) This invention relates to ice making apparatus and in general to ice making apparatus of the type including an inner evaporator defining a freezing wall disposed within a liquid storage vessel and a rotary ice remover for removing frozen liquid from the freezing wall. An important object of this invention is to provide an ice making apparatus of the type described having a discharge opening adjacent one end and an improved arrangement for controlling feeding the ice from the ice maker out of the discharge opening.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ice making apparatus of the type described having a helical ce removing member and a drive a for helical ice removing member which enables control of the direction and amount of flexing of the helical ice removing member.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ice making apparatus of the type described having an annular stabilizer ring at the lower end of the rotary ice remover and which avoids accumulation of foreign material in the liquid storage vessel area below the ring.

These, together with other objects and advantages of this invention, will be more readily appreciated as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view through one form of ice making apparatus, with the refrigerating mechanism and the liquid level control mechanism therefore illustrated diagrammatically;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through a second embodiment of the ice making apparatus having a modified ice removing device;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through a third embodiment of the ice making apparatus having still another modified form of ice removing device;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the plane 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through a fourth embodiment of the ice making apparatus and illustrating another modified form of ice removing device; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through a fifth embodiment of the ice making apparatus illustrating still another form of ice remover.

The ice making apparatus in general includes an evaporator casing 10 having a freezing wall on its outer side, a rotary ice removing device 11 which surrounds the freezing wall to remove frozen liquid therefrom, and an ice remover drive mechanism 17 for turning the ice remover relative to the freezing wall. A refrigerating mechanism of conventional construction, and diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 as including a compressor 12, a condenser 13 and an expansion control 14, has refrigerant supply and return conduits 15 and 16 connected to the evaporator 10 for passing refrigerant thereto. A means is provided for supplying liquid to be frozen to the outer wall of the evaporator. Preferably, a liquid storage vessel or jacket 18 is provided around the evaporator to form a liquid chamber 19 therearound, and a means such as a float control valve 21 is provided to control the flow of liquid to the chamber 19. As shown in FIG. 1, the valve 21 has an inlet 22 adapted for connection to a Patented Mar. 8, 1966 ice liquid supply line and a float operated valve mechanism 23 which controls the flow of liquid into the float valve chamber 24. The float is positioned at a preselected level with respect to the outlet of the liquid vessel 18 to maintain the liquid therein at a proper level and the float valve outlet 25 is connected through a conduit 26 to a fitting 27 on the jacket to supply liquid thereto.

The ice making apparatus in the several embodiments illustrated and described is disposed generally upright with the ice remover drive mechanism 17 located above the liquid storage vessel, to avoid the necessity of providing a water-tight seal between the liquid storage vessel and the drive mechanism. It is contemplated, however, that the ice maker could be mounted in different positions such as horizontally, if adequate liquid seals are provided. As shown, the evaporator. casing 10 includes a tubular wall 31 which is closed by a wall 32 at its upper end. The tubular wall 31 is formed of a heat conducting material to provide good heat transfer between the evaporator chamber and the liquid in the storage chamber 19, and the end wall 32 is made relatively thicker than the side walls or otherwise insulated to minimize the tendency to freeze liquid on the upper end of the evaporator. The lower end of the evaporator is closed by a plug, herein shown in the form of a plate 33 which forms a seal across the evaporator chamber at a level above the bottom of the Water chamber 19. The evaporator and water vessel are conveniently detachably interconnected and, in the form shown, the evaporator has an enlarged head 34 at its lower end which extends outwardly from the evaporator and has a peripheral recess 35. The liquid storage vessel 18 is conveniently in the form of a tubular shell 35 which is detachably supported on the head 34 and extends upwardly around the evaporator casing. The refrigerant supply and return lines 15 and 16 extend through the head and through the plug 33 into the evaporator. As shown, the inlet line 15 extends into the lower portion of the evaporator and has a U-shaped inner end 38 terminating in a downwardly directed outlet for directing the incoming refrigerant downwardly against the bottom of the evaporator to agitate the refrigerant and oil therein, The return line 16 extends upwardly through the plug 23 and has its upper end 39 disposed at a level adjacent the upper end of the evaporator to pass the refrigerant in the gaseous phase back to the compressor.

The vessel or jacket 18 has a discharge opening 41 adjacent its upper end and the ice remover drive mechanism 17 is provided adjacent the upper end of the vessel for driving the ice remover. This mechanism may be of any suitable construction and includes a drive motor 43 and a speed reducing mechanism 44 having an output shaft 45, suitable radial and thrust bearings (not shown) being provided in the drive mechanism or elsewhere on the shaft 45. The drive mechanism 17 is conveniently supported on .the upper end of the liquid storage vessel and, in the embodiment shown, an upper head 48 is removably supported on the upper end of the jacket 36 and is non-rotatably connected thereto as by a pin and slot arrangement 47. The drive mechanism is mounted on the head and the shaft 45 extends downwardly through an opening in the head for connection to the ice remover.

In an ice making apparatus of the type wherein the freezing wall is immersed in the liquid to be frozen, an appreciable quantity of water adheres to the separated ice and adversely affects the quality of the same. The ice removing device 11 is arranged to separate the ice from the freezing wall as it forms thereon and to confine and compact the separated ice for ejection as a compacted mass from the ice remover. This compaction of the separated ice expresses a substantial portion of the water a from the compacted ice mass and reduces the proportionate amount of water which is ejected with the ice. Moreover, the compacted ice is in relatively large chunks as contrasted to small bits and flakes of ice which are separated from the freezing wall, which compacted chunks of ice are highly desired for certain uses.

The ice removing device 11 includes an ice removing member 51 which is rotatable relative to the outer wall of the evaporator 10 to remove the ice as it forms on the evaporator. The ice removing device is also advantageously shaped to effect feeding of the separated ice toward the discharge opening, and, as shown in FIG. 1 is in the form of a helix which extends around the evaporator casing. The ice removing device has an ice engaging surface 51 at its radially inner edge, which ice removing surface faces the outer wall of the evaporator and engages the frozen liquid. Since the separated ice is compacted into a larger mass prior to ejection from the machine, the particular form of the ice as it is separated from the freezing wall is not as important as when the separated ice is discharged from the machine without compaction or compression. In the form shown, the ice engaging surface 51 is transversely arcuate and may be spaced a small distance from the freezing wall sufficient to allow the ice layer to build up to a preselected thickness such as of an inch and to separate the ice from the freezing wall in discrete flakes. Alternatively, the ice engaging surface 51' can be made to extend very close to the freezing wall so as to remove even very thin layers of ice so that the separated ice is in a finely divided form commonly referred to as snow ice. As a further modification, the ice engaging surface can be made sharp so as to scrape off the ice layer and produce finely divided or snow ice.

The helical ice engaging member 51 tends to advance the separated ice axially of the chamber 19 toward the discharge opening 41. In order to produce compacted or compressed ice in this type of ice maker, it has been found advantageous to confine the separated ice after it has been removed from the evaporator so that the compacted ice tends to rotate with the ice remover until it substantially completely fills the space between the adjacent convolutions of the ice removing member. For this purpose, the ice removing member has means forming an ice confining wall designated 52, which wall surrounds the ice removing member and is spaced outwardly from the evaporator. The ice removing wall is made sufiiciently continuous to confine the separated ice after it has been removed from the evaporator and, in the form shown in FIG. 1, the wall 52 is in the form of a continuous cylinder which is integral with the ice removing member 51. Openings such as 53 are provided in the wall to allow liquid from the chamber 19 to enter the spaces between the convolutions of the ice removing device, which openings are of a size and shape to prevent ice pieces from passing out through the wall. With the above described construction, the ice removing device is axially rigid and, as also shown in FIG. 1, extends downwardly to a point closely adjacent the lower end of the chamber 19. The upper end of the ice removing device has an inwardly extending arm 55 which is detachably secured, as by threaded engagement at 56 to the drive shaft 45. As shown in FIG. 2, the arm 55 is preferably formed with a lead face 58 that is inclined radially and axially to aid in feeding the ice outwardly and upwardly to the ice outlet opening 41.

In the embodiment of the ice making device illustrated in FIG. 3, the construction of the evaporator, water jacket and drive for the ice maker is the same as that shown in FIG. 1 and like numerals are used to designate corresponding parts. In this embodiment, a modified form of ice removing device designated 61 is provided, which ice removing device is also arranged to separate the ice as it freezes on the evaporator and to confine the separated ice between the convolutions of the ice remover to compact the same, and to feed the compacted ice erally uniform lead from one end to the other.

mass outwardly through the discharge opening 41 in the vessel. In this embodiment, the ice removing device 61 comprises a helical member 62 in which the convolutions are shaped so as to provide both an ice engaging surface 63 and an annular wall 64. As shown in FIG, 3, the ice engaging surface 63 is formed on the radially inner edges of the convolutions of the helical member 62 and the convolutions are formed with wall portions 63 adjacent the radially outer edge of the convolutions, which wall portions substantially span the space between the adjacent convolutions to form a generally continuous wall for confining the separated ice mass. Advantageously, the inner face 64' of each convolution is transversely arched from the ice engaging surface 63 to the outer wall portions 64. In this embodiment, the adjacent convolutions of the helix are spaced apart slightly to provide openings for entrance of liquid from the storage chamber 19 into the space between the adjacent convolutions of the ice removing device. While this spiral ice remover of this ,form is quite stiff in an axial direction, the stresses involved in removing ice from the evaporator are still sufficient to produce some axial movement of the convolutions of the coil relative to each other and to the freezing wall, as the ice engaging surface 63, engages the ice on the freezing wall and tends to screw therealong. This flexing is beneficial in the removal of ice from the freezing wall, and in addition, also aids in compacting the separated ice mass between the adjacent convolutions. The upper convolution of the ice remover 61 has an'arm 65 thereon which extends inwardly and is detachably secured at 66 to the drive shaft 45. Thus, the helical ice remover is rotated relative to the evaporator to remove the liquid as it freezes on the freezing wall and in a direction to advance the frozen liquid to the discharge opening 41. The annular wall formed by the Wall portion 63 on the convolutions confine the separated ice to the space between adjacent convolutions so that the separated ice is compacted and compressed in the ice removing device.

FIG. 4 illustrates an ice making head of the type shown in FIG. 1 having still another form of rotary ice removing device designated 71. In this embodiment, the ice removing device includes a helical ice removing member 72 and an annular member 73 formed separate from the ice removing member and secured thereto. The annular member 73 is made of rigid material such as metal and having sufiicient strength to transmit the drive from the drive mechanism 42 to the ice removing member 72. A drive head 74 is attached to the annular member 73 and is detachably connected to the shaft 45, as indicated at 76. As shown in FIG. 5, the drive head 74 is conveniently in the form of a bar that extends diametrically across the upper end of the annular member 73 and which has lead faces 75 inclined radially and axially to aid in forcing the ice outwardly through the discharge opening 41. Since the annular member 73 functions as the drive member for the ice removing member (it is not necessary to apply the entire drive force to the upper end of the ice remover. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the spiral ice remover is secured to the drive member at spaced points, and in particular at the top and bottom as indicated at 77 and 78. This controls the overall axial movement of the ice removing member while yet permitting relative axial movement of the intermediate convolutions of the helical ice removing member. Alternatively, the drive member could be secured to the helical ice remover at a point intermediate the ends thereof to allow flexing of the end portions of the helix in relatively opposite directions.

Moreover, all of the convolutions of the ice remover could' be secured to the drive member 73 in which event the ice remover would be axially rigid, as in FIG. 1. The annular wall 73 is also preferably formed with openings such as 79 to allow liquid to enter the spaces between the convolutions of the helix. In the embodiments previously described, the helical ice removing member had a gen- It has been found advantageous in some applications to form the helical ice removing member with a lead that increases in the direction toward the ice outlet opening 41. As shown in FIG. 4, the lead of the helical ice removing member 72 increases in a direction from the bottom toward the top. The evaporator designated 10' shown in FIG. 4 is generally similar to that shown at 10 in FIG. 1. However, in order to provide a slightly different form of ice and to also augment the feeding action of the spiral ice removing member, the evaporator wall designated 31 may advantageously be formed with a non-circular cross section. As shown in FIG. 5, the evaporator has a generally hexagonal configuration, it being understood that the number and width of the sides or flattened areas on the evaporator can be varied, if desired.

The ice removing device designated 71' shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6 is generally similar to that shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4 and includes a helical ice removing member 72, an annular member 73' and a drive member 74' which is rigidly secured as by welding to the upper end of the annular member 73' to drive the same from the shaft 45. The annular member 73' is also advantageously arranged to define an ice confining wall which surrounds the ice removing member, and which wall has openings such as 79 to pass fiuid from the chamber 19 into the spaces between the convolutions of the ice removing member. In this embodiment, however, the ice removing member is axially resilient and is secured to the drive member at a point such as 78' preferably located adjacent the lower end of the drive member. The ice engaging member 72' engages the ice as it forms on the evaporator and tends to screw therealong until the pressure exerted on the ice is sufiicient to break the bonding force between the ice and the evaporator. Since the ice removing member 72' is driven from its lower end, the coil will tend to axially compress slightly as the convolutions engage the ice layer, so that the upper end of the coil moves downwardly a small distance. When the ice is ruptured from a section of the evaporator, the portion of the ice removing member that engaged that separated section tends to expand axially and move upwardly. This axial expansion and contraction of the ice removing device is beneficial to compaction of the ice and, since the coil expands upwardly when released, it also aids in forcing the ice toward the outlet opening 41. In order to minimize wear on the evaporator, it is sometimes desirable to radially support the ice removing member. For this purpose, an annular ring designated 80 is attached to the lower end of the annular member 73 and is either formed of a solid bearing material or as a bearing insert such as 80' which engages either the evaporator 31 or the outer jacket 18. In the form illustrated in FIG. 6, the bearing insert 89' engages the inner evaporator adjacent its lower end. In order to avoid accumulation of foreign matter such as sand and the like in the area below the ring 79, the latter is formed with impeller passages 81 that are preferably inclined as shown in FIG. 6 to the axis of the ring so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction of the ice remover to produce an upward circulation of liquid through the passages 81, as the ice removing member rotates. This will cause a circulation of liquid from the vessel through the area below the ring 80 to inhibit collection of foreign matter in this area.

Still a further modified form of ice remover is illustrated in FIG. 7 and designated generally by the numeral 82. In

,this embodiment, the ice remover includes a helical ice removing member 83 which extends around the evaporator casing 10. The ice remover is drivingly connected to the shaft 45 by a drive head 84. This head is advantageously in the form of an annular body having a diameter corresponding generally to the inner diameter of the ice removing member, and which annular body is detachably seemed as by threaded engagement at 85 to the shaft 45.

In order to aid in feeding ice through the discharge opening 41 and to avoid accumulation of ice at the upper end 32 of the evaporator casing, the head 84 is formed with its underside 86 inclined to the axis of the head so as to diverge relative to the end wall on the evaporator casing, as is clearly shown in FIG. 7. The angle of the inclination is preferably arranged to correspond generally to the angle of the upper convolutions of the ice removing device which is secured, as by welding, to the periphery of the drive head 84.

In this embodiment, the ice removing device is formed with an annular wall 88 of resilient construction and, for example, may be formed of rubber or plastic. Alternatively, the wall 88 can be in the form of a reticulated screen. The annular wall member 88 may be supported on the outer periphery of the ice removing member 83 in any suitable manner. In the form shown, the resilient wall member 88 is formed so as to have a snug fit with the outer periphery of the ice removing member, to rotate therewith. The wall member is conveniently supported axially by a ring member 91 attached to the lower convolution of the ice removing device. The ring member is formed with a bearing insert such as 92 which rotatably engages and radially supports the ice removing device on the evaporator 10. As in the preceding embodiment, impeller passages designated 93 are formed in the ring member 91 and inclined with respect to the axis of the ring member to produce an upward circulation of fluid therethrough to thereby inhibit accumulation of foreign matter in the area below the ring. In this embodiment, the impeller passage is formed by one or more tubes that extend through the ring and have an inclined lower face 93' that faces in the direction of rotation of the ice remover to force liquid up through the passage.

In the several embodiments illustrated, the ice removing device includes a spiral or helical ice removing member which surrounds the inner evaporator and which has an ice confining annular wall extending around the helical ice removing member to confine the separated ice to the space between the convolutions of the ice removing member. Since the annular wall rotates with the ice removing member, the separated ice will tend to rotate with the ice removing member until the space between the adjacent convolutions is substantially filled. This causes compaction of the ice so that the ice as it is discharged from the ice making machine, is in the form of a compacted mass from which a major portion of water has been expressed. In some of the embodiments, the helical ice removing device is axially resilient so as to not :only assist in removing the ice from the evaporator, but to also aid in compacting the separated ice between the adjacent convolutions. In the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive to the helical ice remover is transmitted through the annular members so that it is not necessary to apply the entire driving force to only the upper end of the ice removing device. While the annular members as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 are preferably in the form of generally continuous walls for confining the ice, it will be appreciated that annular members of somewhat different form and construction could also be advantageously employed to drive the ice removing device from one or more points spaced axially from the drive shaft.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for producing ice, including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, means .for supplying liquid to be frozen to the freezing wall on said casing, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufficient to freeze ice on said freezing wall, an ice removing device for removing frozen liquid from the evaporator casing and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall, characterized in that the ice removing device has means defining an annular ice confining wall surrounding and substantially enclosing the freezing wall, said annular wall being spaced from the freezing wall and having an ice engaging memher extending inwardly from the ice confining wall toward the evaporator casing for removing ice from the freezing wall, means forming small opening in the annular wall to allow liquid to pass therethrough, the annular wall on the ice removing device having no openings therein sufficiently large to allow the ice after it has been separated from the freezing wall to pass laterally through the annular wall whereby to confine and compact the separated ice.

2. In an apparatus for producing ice including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, means for supplying liquid to be frozen to the freezing wall on the casing, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufiicient to freeze ice on said freezing wall, an ice removing device for removing frozen liquid from the freezing wall, and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall, characterized in that the ice removing device has means defining an annular ice confining wall surrounding and substantially enclosing said freezing wall, said annular wall being spaced from said freezing wall and having an ice engaging member of spiral form extending inwardly from the ice confining wall toward the evaporator casing for removing ice from the freezing wall and for advancing separated ice lengthwise of the freezing wall to one end thereof, means forming small openings in the annular wall to allow liquid to pass therethrough, the annular wall on the ice removing device having no openings therein sufliciently large to allow the separated ice to pass laterally through the annular wall whereby the annular wall confines the separated ice to compact the same.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said ice removing device including said annular wall and said spiral ice engaging member are axially rigid.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said ice removing device including said means defining an annular wall and said spiral ice engaging member are resilient.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said annular wall is axially rigid, said spiral ice engaging member being axially resilient, means attaching said ice removing member to said annular wall for rotation therewith and for limited axial movement of at least a portion of the ice remover relative to the annular wall.

6. In an apparatus for producing ice including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, a liquid storage vessel surrounding the evaporator casing in spaced relation to the freezing wall, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufficient to freeze ice on said freezing wall, said vessel having an ice outlet opening adjacent one end, an ice removing device for removing ice from the freezing wall, and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall and storage vessel characterized in that the ice removing device has means defining an annular ice confining wall surrounding and substantially enclosing said freezing wall, said annular wall being spaced from said freezing wall and having an ice engaging member of spiral form extending inwardly toward the evaporator casing for removing ice from the freezing wall and for advancing the separated ice toward the outlet opening in the vessel, means forming small openings in the annular wall to allow liquid to pass therethrough, said annular wall having no openings therein sufiiciently large to allow the separated ice to pass laterally therethrough whereby the annular wall confines the separated ice to compact the same.

7. In an apparatus for producing ice including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, a liquid storage vessel surrounding the evaporator casing in spaced relation to the freezing wall, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufficient to freeze ice on said freezing wall, said vessel having an ice outlet opening adjacent one end, an ice removing device for removing ice from the freezing wall, and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall and storage vessel characterized in that the ice removing device includes a rigid annular member spaced from said freezing wall and a spiral ice engaging member inside the annular member, said rigid annular member extending from one end to the other of the spiral ice engaging member, said spiral ice engaging member being secured to said annular member for rotation therewith to remove ice from the freezing wall and to advance separated ice toward the discharge openin 8. In an apparatus for producing ice including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, a liquid storage vessel surrounding the evaporator casing in spaced relation to the freezing wall, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufficent to freeze ice on said freezing wall, said vessel having an ice outlet opening adjacent one end, an ice removing device for removing ice from the freezing wall, and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall and storage vessel characterized in that the ice removing device includes a rigid annular member spaced from said freezing wall and a spiral ice engaging member inside said annular member, means connecting said drive means to the end of said annular member adjacent the outlet opening in the vessel, said spiral ice engaging member being aifixed to said annular member for rotation therewith to remove ice from the freezing wall and to advance separated ice toward the discharge opening.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said annular member is in the form of a generally continuous wall to confine the ice after it has been separated from the freezing wall.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said ice engaging member is resilient and is secured to said annular member at a point spaced from said drive connecting means.

11. The combination of claim 8 wherein said ice engaging member is resilient and is secured to said annular member at the end thereof remote from said drive connecting means.

12. In an apparatus for producing ice including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, a liquid storage vessel surrounding the evaporator casing in spaced relation to the freezing wall, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufiicient to freeze ice on said freezing wall, said vessel having an ice outlet opening adjacent one end, an ice removing device for removing ice from the freezing wall, and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall and storage vessel characterized in that the ice re moving member is in the form of a helix having a plurality of convolutions surrounding the freezing wall, each convolution being shaped to define an ice engaging surface at its radially inner edge and an annular wall portion disposed radially outwardly from the ice engaging surface, the annular wall portions of each convolution extending into proximity to the wall portions of adjacent convolutions to form an ice confining wall for confiining the separated ice between the adjacent convolutions of the helix, the openings between adjacent convolutions of the helix being sufficiently small to substantially prevent separated ice from passing laterally therethrough.

13. In an apparatus for producing ice including a tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, a liquid storage vessel surrounding the evaporator casing in spaced relation to the freezing wall, means for refrigerating the evaporator casing sufficient to freeze ice on said freezing wall, said vessel having an ice outlet opening adjacent one end, an ice removing device for removing ice from the freezing wall, and drive means for rotating the ice removing device relative to the freezing wall and storage vessel characterized in that the ice removing device has a spiral ice engaging surface and said freezing wall is non-circular in cross section.

14. In an apparatus for producing ice including an upright tubular evaporator casing defining a freezing wall, a liquid storage vessel surrounding the evaporator casing 9 10 in spaced relation to the freezing wall, means for re- References Cited by the Examiner frigerating the evaporator casing suflicient to freeze ice UNITED STATES PATENTS on said freezing wall, an ice removing member extending around the evaporator casing to remove frozen 3,034,317 5/1962 Schneider et 62354 liquid therefrom, means for turning the ice remover, said 5 3,049,895 8/1962 et 62 354 ice removing device having an annular stabilizer ring at 3,133,428 5/1964 schnefder 62354 the lower end thereof, said ring having impeller passages 3,139,740 7/1964 Swatslck 62-320 extending therethrough and inclined upwardly and rear- FOREIGN PATENTS wardly with respect to the direction of rotation of the ice remover to circulate fluid from the bottom of the liquid 10 883O26 11/1961 Great Bntam storage vessel upwardly through the ring. ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ICE, INCLUDING A TUBULAR EVAPORATOR CASING DEFINING A FREEZING WALL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO BE FROZEN TO THE FREEZING WALL ON SAID CASING, MEANS FOR REFRIGERATING THE EVAPORATOR CASING SUFFICIENT TO FREEZE ICE ON SAID FREEZING WALL, AN ICE REMOVING DEVICE FOR REMOVING FROZEN LIQUID FROM THE EVAPORATOR CASING AND DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATION THE ICE REMOVING DEVICE RELATIVE TO THE FREEZING WALL, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE ICE REMOVING DEVICE HAS MEANS DEFINING AN ANNULAR ICE CONFINING WALL SURROUNDING AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING THE FREEZING WALL, SAID ANNULAR WALL BEING SPACED FROM THE FREEZING WALL AND HAVING AN ICE ENGAGING MEMBER EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE ICE CONFINING WALL TOWARD THE EVAPORATOR CASING FOR REMOVING ICE FROM THE FREEZING WALL, MEANS FORMING SMALL OPENING IN THE ANNULAR WALL TO ALLOW LIQUID TO PASS THERETHROUGH, THE ANNULAR WALL ON THE ICE REMOVING DEVICE HAVING NO OPENINGS THEREIN SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO ALLOW THE ICE AFTER IT HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE FREEZING WALL TO PASS LATERALLY THROUGH THE ANNULAR WALL WHEREBY TO CONFINE AND COMPACT THE SEPARATED ICE. 